Some respiratory pathologies of the larynx or pharynx of a member of the Equidae, and in particular of a racehorse, can be diagnosed only by an endoscopic examination carried out in the course of a dynamic test, using an endoscope, preferably an electronic endoscope.
According to the prior art, the control means of an electronic endoscope comprises a light source producing a luminous flux which is guided along the probe as far as the distal end by means of an optical fibre. The illumination means of the distal end comprises lenses enabling the luminous flux received from the optical fibre to be distributed on the zone to be examined. The light source of the known electronic endoscopes has a large space requirement and requires a high-power electric current generator, which also has a large space requirement. Consequently, the electronic endoscopes according to the prior art are fixed instruments.
This is why the dynamic test is carried out on dedicated premises equipped with an endoscopy installation comprising a fixed electronic endoscope and a specific treadmill on which the racehorse to be examined is placed.
Use is made of a pliable electronic endoscope, the probe of which is soft and non-self-supporting. This mechanical characteristic of the probe is used to position the distal end. More precisely, the distal end is introduced via the nostrils and then pushed into the animal's sinuses, in order to be placed in the animal's throat, facing the zone to be examined. The probe which carries the distal end then abuts the walls of the sinuses and of the cavity to be inspected.
However, in this test environment, the animal is not really under normal training conditions. The trauma of being placed on a treadmill distorts the animal's behaviour, which reduces the value of such an examination accordingly.
In addition, an endoscopy installation comprising a treadmill is extremely expensive. Furthermore, since this installation is fixed, it is necessary to transport the racehorse to the examination premises, which represents an additional cost when these premises are at a long distance from the training centre.
Finally, the image obtained is not of high quality because the distal end carried by the soft probe and comprising the electronic image acquisition means is displaced relative to the zone to be examined in the course of the dynamic test and the animal's movements. In extreme cases, such as a sudden movement of the animal's head, the distal portion may come into contact with the mucous membranes.